Book Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Published: November 13, 2012 

Publisher: Atria Boos

Author: Katja Millay

Pages: 426
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

 

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay. 

 All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. 

 Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to. 

 The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

In this book we have Nastya Kashnikov, who used to be a piano playing protégée, who died but was brought back to life two years. She died literally and figuratively so her life obviously changes and one day she hopes to get revenge from the boy who took her life from her. She moves to a new place, a new school in hopes that no one will ever have to learn about her past.

Then there is Josh Bennett. Everybody knows Josh’s story. He has lost everybody he loves and he's left alone at the age of 17. Everyone leaves him alone until one day Nastya somehow makes her way into his life. 

As their unusual relationship deepens, they become each other’s salvation, means of escape but as unanswered questions start to pile up and it gets in between them and kind of jeopardizes Josh and Nastya. 

 I found this book to be quite different especially because I have never read anything where the characters are put in the situation Nastya is put in. It is a romance but I feel like it's not your typical romance. It's a little cheesy but in a unique kind of way. It’s different. It wasn't the kind that made me roll my eyes. It just made me smile because it was so darn adorable.

 I love the writing, it was very quotable. The story is told in dual perspective so you have Nastya and Josh’s POV and I loved getting both their sides of the story. I loved knowing what they both felt. 

 I feel like it's a very character driven book, the characters are very fun and I really empathized with them. Nastya is a very strong female protagonist, one the strongest that I've ever read about because if I were put in her situation I know that I would have probably been depressed and suicidal but Nastya was just so strong and I really truly admire her strength and that she is able to get up every day and go through life.

 This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. I felt every motion there is to feel. At first it was kinds awkward and weird, then it got kinda happy and sweet and super cute, then I briefly got pissed, then I was shocked and horrified and then I somehow felt alleviated. After reading it I felt good, I was happy with the ending, I was happy for these characters. 

 The story was well structured it was also pretty funny I found Nastya and Josh to be quite hilarious (and Drew, of course). It had a nice flow, great pacing, it was such a page-turner I just wanted to know what happened next. The ending was perfect. It made so much sense and it summed up the whole book.

Overall feelings:

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